Ohio State football mailbag: What will it take for fans to cut QB Kyle McCord some slack?
Ohio State returns to the Horseshoe on Saturday.
After consecutive road trips to Wisconsin and Rutgers, the Buckeyes host Michigan State, followed by Minnesota, before their much-anticipated finale at Michigan.
All the topics for this week’s mailbag cover the stretch run, so let’s dive in. The questions were submitted by The Dispatch’s subscriber group and are lightly edited for length and clarity.
If Kyle McCord wasn't following behind three Heisman Trophy finalists at quarterback, his season would be viewed pretty highly, especially for a first-year starter. Will fans cut him some slack or is the bar just too high and "game managers" with occasional moments of brilliance and occasional mistakes no longer ever going to be acceptable?
Timing is everything, right? If McCord was having this type of season five years earlier, before Dwayne Haskins Jr., Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud ever started for the Buckeyes, it would be viewed in a different light. In fact, it’d likely end up as one of the most prolific seasons ever by an Ohio State quarterback.
McCord is on pace to throw for 3,397 yards and 25 touchdowns to six interceptions — figuring the Buckeyes play 13 games, and it would be more if they reach the Big Ten championship game next month. Pre-2018, McCord’s passing yards would be on track to surpass Joe Germaine’s 3,330 yards from 1998 as a single-season school record and the 25 touchdowns would rank in a tie for fifth all-time with Todd Boeckman from 2007 and Germaine from 1998. The 241 completions he’s on pace to throw would also be another high.
That is all to stress that McCord’s performance would be largely unparalleled before Ryan Day began coaching the quarterbacks in Columbus.
Even if McCord does not put up passing numbers that measure up to Haskins or Stroud, or total offense that equates to Fields, the stretch run could endear him to a fan base with high expectations.
Leading Ohio State to a win over archrival Michigan or a run in the College Football Playoff would matter a lot.
Among the three Heisman Trophy finalists that preceded McCord, only one of them both defeated the Wolverines and won a playoff game. That was Fields. For Haskins, he had a win in “The Game,” but Ohio State did not reach the playoff in 2018. Stroud was 0-2 against Michigan and lost in the semifinal to Georgia last December.
McCord’s finish could make up for a lack of stat-stuffing performances from October. The moments of brilliance in clutch situations endure, and those opportunities remain on the table in the coming weeks.
How do the Buckeyes avoid complacency? The competition isn't exactly stellar the next two weeks.
It’s not a formidable stretch against Michigan State and Minnesota, teams that are a combined 4-8 in the Big Ten. The Spartans are tied with Indiana for last place in the East at 1-5. The Gophers are mired in the muck in the West at 3-3, though they are alright at least on one side of the ball, sitting No. 23 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in the SP+ defensive rankings.
But the level of competition at this point should matter little. Michigan is on the horizon. The Buckeyes head to Ann Arbor in two weeks, and they should aspire to be in a rhythm as they prepare for the rivalry clash.
Can Ohio State peak at the right time? That would seem the primary motivation.
Of course, the Buckeyes should be warned of history. Michigan State was a massive underdog in 2015, 1998 and 1974 when it spoiled unbeaten seasons.
With TreVeyon Henderson being so prone to injuries, would it make sense to limit his playing time this Saturday against a very weak opponent rather than risk a season-ending injury for when he would be needed against Michigan? Give Chip Trayanum some high-quality time?
The Buckeyes have exercised caution with Henderson after he took a shot to his upper body at Notre Dame, holding him out for the following three games.
Since his return, they have leaned on him heavily. Henderson saw an average of 23 carries at Rutgers and Wisconsin, an increase over the 11 he averaged over the first four weeks.
If Ohio State handles Michigan State and Minnesota as expected, then it would seem reasonable for Henderson to be below 20 carries. The more lopsided the games become, the more likely it is for Trayanum to pick up a larger workload.
There’s a fine line to walk over the next two weeks. Henderson’s health should be protected. The Buckeyes need him at full strength against the top-ranked defense in the nation. But he was also out for a month and needs time to ramp up for the matchup. The reps also matter.
Who's our backup QB for MSU?
That looks like Devin Brown, who was in uniform and available last week at Rutgers after he injured his right ankle two weeks earlier.
If McCord was to go down for an extended period of time against Michigan State, it’s likely Brown would fill in.
Day said on Tuesday that Brown is getting close to 100%.
What's the status on Tommy Eichenberg?
Trainers looked at Eichenberg’s left arm late in the win over the Scarlet Knights, and he left SHI Stadium with ice wrapped around it.
But since he became a starter, Eichenberg has never missed a game.
“He’d play with one arm if he had to,” defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
Recall that Eichenberg played through multiple hands injuries late last season.
It’s possible he could see a reduced number of snaps against Michigan State, especially with Knowles’ level of comfort with Cody Simon, who is experienced at middle linebacker.
But Day suggested that Eichenberg would be available this week and had not suffered a significant issue.
“This time of year, you’re going to have a lot of guys with bumps and bruises,” Day said.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on Facebook and X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. He can also be contacted at jkaufman@dispatch.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football mailbag on Kyle McCord, TreVeyon Henderson, more
